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Blog Entries by Adam Polaski

Today, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second District, out of New York, ruled in Windsor v. United States that the so-called Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional. This marks the second time that a federal Court of Appeals has found DOMA unconstitutional, and it is the first appeals court decision to decide that government discrimination against gay and lesbian people should receive a more specific level of judicial review called "heightened scrutiny."

This morning, Equally Blessed, a coalition of Catholic organizations working toward equality for LGBT people and their families, released a report showing that the Knights of Columbus has spent more than $15.8 million working against the freedom to marry for committed same-sex couples since 2005. How else could they have used that money?

Every day, the canvassing team at Washington United for Marriage logs the results of their conversations, recording interesting stories and positive or negative feedback from prospective voters. Here, we've collected a few of those reports to give you an inside look on canvassing in Washington and how we're moving closer to marriage each and every day.

This week, the city councils of two major cities in Maine went on the record with endorsements of the freedom to marry for same-sex couples in Maine. Marriage advocates in Maine are working to proactively win the freedom to marry at the ballot in November by passing Question 1.

Actress Anne Hathaway is doing her part to ensure that same-sex couples across the country can enjoy a fairytale wedding like hers; this week, she announced that she'll be donating some of the sales from her wedding photographs to non-profits advocating for marriage for same-sex couples, including Freedom to Marry.

This week, two prominent athletes in Minnesota have spoken out against the proposed constitutional amendment in Minnesota that would permanently limit the freedom to marry. Out WNBA star Seimone Augustus and Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe have each lent some of their spotlight to opposing the amendment in their state.

In November, Mainers will be asked to approve the freedom to marry for all loving and committed couples at the ballot. Sarah Dowling and Linda Wolfe are one of the couples who will be affected by the vote. Hear from Sarah in this profile about why marriage matters and what she's been doing to push for the marriage law in Maine!

This Saturday, hundreds of people across the country joined together for the National Engagement Party, our fundraiser to win marriage at the ballot. The event raised $500,000 for the ballot battles, bringing Freedom to Marry's total state investment to $4.5 million for the 2011-2012 election cycle.

You can help win marriage at the ballot by donating your time and effort to Drive for Marriage. The program is the newest way you can contribute to United for Marriage, our joint partnership with the Human Rights Campaign and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force to mobilize volunteers for the ballot states.

This month, Freedom to Marry is teaming up with Marriage Equality USA to harness the energy of marriage advocates in New York City and help make the case for marriage in Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, and Washington, where marriage for same-sex couples will be on the ballot on Election Day.